House mail-box



J. RINGEN. HOUSE MAIL BOX.

3 sheets-sheet 1.

(-110 Model.)

Patented July 11 189 3.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet J RINGEN HOUSE MAIL BOX.

No. 501,441. Patented J-uly 11 (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. RINGEN. HOUSE MAI'I. BOX- No. 501,441. Patented July 11, 1893.

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NITED TATES;

ATENT Fries.

JOHN RINGEN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

HOUSE MAIL-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 501,441, dated uly 11, 1893.

Application filed November 30, 1892- Serial No. 453,573- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN RINGEN, of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in House Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain features of construction of house mail boxes, and my invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.

Figure I is a front view or elevation of my improved box, with the indicator raised. Fig. II is a side View, with the indicator raised. Fig. III is a rear back view. Fig. IV is an inside view of the box. Fig. V is a vertical section, taken on line VV, Fig. III. Fig. VI is a detail, perspective view.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the box, preferably provided at the back with ribs or flanges 2, which rest against the house door, or other object to which the box is secured.

3 is a closing flap, hinged to the upper end of the box at 5, over the mouth 4, so that it can be lifted up for the insertion of letters.

6 represents the guard fingers for preventing the removal of letters without first opening the box.

The upper front 7 of the box is hinged, as shown at 10, Fig. V, so that it can be opened into the position shown by dotted lines. The lower portion 9 of the front of the box is also hinged at 10, so that it can be opened by removing its lower end upwardly on the pivot 10. This portion, 9, of the box is controlled by a locking mechanism, such as is shown, described and claimed in my application filed July 23, 1892, Serial No. 441,039, and which will require no description in this application, as it forms no part of this invention.

21 is an indicator mounted on the upper end of a vertically sliding rod 22, which passes through a suitable bearing 25, which secures it to the back of the box, and which also passes through a slot in plate 26, (see Fig. V,) in which is seated its enlarged portion or arm, 28, which can be lifted by the operator inserting a finger under the projection, the back of thebox being slotted for this purpose at 18. The plate 26 is secured to the back of the box and sets out a distance from the back, as shown, and thus forms a chamber in which the arm or projection 28 on the rod 22 may slide, (see Figs. IV and VI.) This projection 28 carries a vertical extension 28" at the upper end of which is a spring or elastic extension 28 29 is an arm secured to the door or upper portion 7 of the box front; This "arm 29 projects into the path of the extension 28 of the projection 28, as shown in Fig. V.

WVhen the mail matter is dropped into the box, the indicator 21 is raised by the person, either by lifting it through the projection 28, when the door is open, or by grasping the indicator itself, the rod 22 sliding in its supports. Just as theindicator reaches the limit of its movement, the extension 28 comes in contact with the arm'29, and is forced laterally until it'passes the arm and then springs back to its normal position over the arm, as shown in Fig. VI, and thus supports the indicator 21 above the top of the box, as shown in Figs. I and II, indicating that there is mail matter in the box.

When the upper part 7 of the box front is opened, to remove the mail, the arm 29 lifts the connection, consequently the indicator, until it swings out of the path of the extension 28 when the indicator drops by its own weight to its normal or unexposed position. This forms a very cheap and effective indicator, which is not liable to get out of order.

30 represents an extension on the arm 29, which has a hook 31 at its lower end.

32 is a button pivoted to the inside of the box, and which maybe thrown over from the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. V, to the position shown in full lines, so as to engage the hook 31, and thus lock the upper front portion or. door 7 in position, when it is desired to remove the matter from the box through the lower door 9 only.

35 represents arms pivoted to the box at the point 10. There is an arm on each side of the box, and these arms are connected at their lower ends by rods 36. These arms 35 have inwardly projecting extensions 37, which are preferably concave on their upper surfaces, 7

as shown in Figs. II and V. The arms 35, with their extensions 37 form a frame for holding papers, and large mail matter that cannot be introduced into the box, as shown in Fig. V, the gravity of the arms, with the extension 37 projecting beneath the mail matter holding the latter firmly in place.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a mail box, the combination of an indicator rod, the indicator mounted on the rod, a guide arm secured to the rod, an openingin the back Wall of the box in which said guide arm reciprocates, aspringarm on the rod, and a catch for engaging said spring arm, where- JOHN RINGEN.

In presence of- ALBERT M. EBERSOLE, E1). S. KNIGHT. 

